Helicopter air resonance modeling and suppression using active control

Abstract

A coupled rotor/fuselage helicopter analysis with the important effects of blade torsional flexibility, unsteady aerodynamics, and forward flight is presented. Using this mathematical model, a nominal configuration is selected with an air resonance instability throughout most of its flight envelope. A multivariable compensator is then designed using two swashplate inputs and a single-body roll rate measurement. The controller design is based on the linear quadratic Gaussian technique and the loop transfer recovery method. The controller is shown to suppress the air resonance instability throughout a wide range of helicopter loading conditions and forward flight speeds.